Stephen was dreaming of their duel again. Dream was always the same: he
pulls the trigger and watches the bullet hit Jack. He sees disbelief and
confusion on Jack's face and rushes to help him, but Jack pushes him away
with surprising strength. This night the dream was almost the same, except
that he could hear gentle music filling the air around them, music that
made him want to hold Jack most desperately, despite being pushed away.
He woke up, realising that the distant sounds of music were coming from
Captain's cabin. Stephen hurriedly put dressing gown over his nightshirt,
and rushed to see Captain, anger rising like a tiden him. "I told him to
stay in bed and have plenty of sleep, but no. He would not listen to me!»
He knocked on the door and heard David Sayers's cheerful voice saying:
"- There you go, Jack. Somebody came to complain that you are disturbing everyone's sleep."
"Oh, this Mr. Sayers again! He should have left the cabin ages ago and let Jack rest, but he just stayed, and it is so late now!» Suddenly Stephen felt a pang of jealousy. He was condemning David for having stayed with the captain for Jack needed rest, but part of him wished to be in David's place. He brushed quickly off this unnecessary jealousy and entered. Jack stood beside the table with the fiddle in his hands, wearing only his trousers and bandages. David set beside Jack's bed. Both men stared at Stephen with surprise and doctror realised that his anger was very clear to both of them.
"- Mr. Sayers, what are you doing here at this time of the night?! I thought you would be more considerate towards your friend. He needs rest, so please, do be so kind, and leave the room at once!"
David was so overwhelmed by Doctor's anger that he did not dare to argue and wishing Jack good night left the cabin. Stephen turned to Jack, who could not utter a word for the sheer shock of what just happened.
"- And you Jack, get in bed immediately. Did not I tell you that for the wound to heal quickly, you would have to get plenty of rest," - Jack lay his fiddle back on the table, and stepped towards the bed, trying to look guilty, but everything inside him swelled with joy. Stephen finally stopped being so formal, he finally called him by his Christian name again.
Jack sat down on the bed and carefully reclined, not to cause himself too much pain. Stephen sat on the chair, which a minute ago was occupied by David.
"- Why do you never listen to me Jack? Look at you. Walking around only in your trousers as if we are in tropics. Do you want to catch a cold as well? That will not help your wound," - Stephen kept scolding his friend while taking of his bandages to see whether he did himself any harm. Stephen knew he was overreacting but he wanted to stay with Jack. Stephen did not blame Jack for the duel happening any more than himself. He knew perfectly well how difficult it was for Jack to apologise for something especially when he felt guilty. However, Stephen blamed himself. He shot at Jack and could not forgive hinself that. Jack did hurt his feelings but the more he thought about it the more he became convinced that Diana Villiers was scarcely worth this bullet. She was scarcely worth their argument. Jack was his friend, he loved him dearly, but she was just another woman who could not decide what exactly she wants. So he pretended to check Jack's wound, while thinking that Jack probably will never forgive him. Stephen knew that he betrayed Jack.
"- It seems that you have no further harm to your wound, but please do not get up anymore, until I allow you to do so."
Jack knew that Stephen was going to leave now. He placed his hand over Stephen's and whispered:
"- I am so sorry, but I have not played for so long..., - his voice wavered as he added, -We have not played for so long."
Stephen's eyes were full of indecipherable feelings.
" - Jack, - he whispered back, - Are you not angry with me?
" - No, no, my dear. Why would I be?"
" - Well, I ...I shot you."
" - But it was your right. After all, I deserved it."
" - No! How can you say that?!"
" - But I insulted you...."
"- Stop, stop. It was nothing. I should not have become so angry, after all you are my dearest friend not that woman."
"- Stephen, ..." - a smile appeared on Jack's face.
They both stood silent, just looking at each other with tenderness. Jack stroked Stephen's hand and Doctor moved it so that Jack's fingers would touch his palm.This caress seemed to last for eternity before Stpehen dared to make a step forward. He moved from the chair onto the bed and bent towards Jack placing a lightest of the kisses on his lips. They were warm and still held the slightest taste of the wine. Jack's hand slid up his arm and on his chest. It went down in search of the dressing gown's belt and untied it. Stephen felt both of Jack palms upon his chest as they stroked the bare skin that was exposed by the night shirt. Stephen now knew that he would not be rejected as it happened in his dream, So he lowered his head again and kissed Jack passionately. The prolonged, hungry kiss left them both breathless, lightheaded and aroused.
" - Sophie would not count me one of her friends, now that I stole you from her, - said Stephen, breathing softly into Jack's mouth."
" - I guess, she will not be happy with me either for I let myself be stolen so easily," - Jack arms now held Stephen's body close to his.
" - You will probably marry her anyway."
" - Oh, no. The only one I want to marry is you," - Jack smiled kissing Stephen lightly.
" - We both will have to marry women if we do not want any rumours spreading."
" - You are right, as always," - Jack nodded with such a dissapointed expression on his face, that Stephen regretted talking of hiding their relationship when the relationship has barely started. Suddenly a mischiveous smile broke out on Jack's face as he said, "- But for now let us pretend that we are married and this is our first night."
" - Oh, well I am not going to give you a divorce, even if you beg me. "
Jack responded to this statement with a smile and kiss and... many more things.
"- There you go, Jack. Somebody came to complain that you are disturbing everyone's sleep."
"Oh, this Mr. Sayers again! He should have left the cabin ages ago and let Jack rest, but he just stayed, and it is so late now!» Suddenly Stephen felt a pang of jealousy. He was condemning David for having stayed with the captain for Jack needed rest, but part of him wished to be in David's place. He brushed quickly off this unnecessary jealousy and entered. Jack stood beside the table with the fiddle in his hands, wearing only his trousers and bandages. David set beside Jack's bed. Both men stared at Stephen with surprise and doctror realised that his anger was very clear to both of them.
"- Mr. Sayers, what are you doing here at this time of the night?! I thought you would be more considerate towards your friend. He needs rest, so please, do be so kind, and leave the room at once!"
David was so overwhelmed by Doctor's anger that he did not dare to argue and wishing Jack good night left the cabin. Stephen turned to Jack, who could not utter a word for the sheer shock of what just happened.
"- And you Jack, get in bed immediately. Did not I tell you that for the wound to heal quickly, you would have to get plenty of rest," - Jack lay his fiddle back on the table, and stepped towards the bed, trying to look guilty, but everything inside him swelled with joy. Stephen finally stopped being so formal, he finally called him by his Christian name again.
Jack sat down on the bed and carefully reclined, not to cause himself too much pain. Stephen sat on the chair, which a minute ago was occupied by David.
"- Why do you never listen to me Jack? Look at you. Walking around only in your trousers as if we are in tropics. Do you want to catch a cold as well? That will not help your wound," - Stephen kept scolding his friend while taking of his bandages to see whether he did himself any harm. Stephen knew he was overreacting but he wanted to stay with Jack. Stephen did not blame Jack for the duel happening any more than himself. He knew perfectly well how difficult it was for Jack to apologise for something especially when he felt guilty. However, Stephen blamed himself. He shot at Jack and could not forgive hinself that. Jack did hurt his feelings but the more he thought about it the more he became convinced that Diana Villiers was scarcely worth this bullet. She was scarcely worth their argument. Jack was his friend, he loved him dearly, but she was just another woman who could not decide what exactly she wants. So he pretended to check Jack's wound, while thinking that Jack probably will never forgive him. Stephen knew that he betrayed Jack.
"- It seems that you have no further harm to your wound, but please do not get up anymore, until I allow you to do so."
Jack knew that Stephen was going to leave now. He placed his hand over Stephen's and whispered:
"- I am so sorry, but I have not played for so long..., - his voice wavered as he added, -We have not played for so long."
Stephen's eyes were full of indecipherable feelings.
" - Jack, - he whispered back, - Are you not angry with me?
" - No, no, my dear. Why would I be?"
" - Well, I ...I shot you."
" - But it was your right. After all, I deserved it."
" - No! How can you say that?!"
" - But I insulted you...."
"- Stop, stop. It was nothing. I should not have become so angry, after all you are my dearest friend not that woman."
"- Stephen, ..." - a smile appeared on Jack's face.
They both stood silent, just looking at each other with tenderness. Jack stroked Stephen's hand and Doctor moved it so that Jack's fingers would touch his palm.This caress seemed to last for eternity before Stpehen dared to make a step forward. He moved from the chair onto the bed and bent towards Jack placing a lightest of the kisses on his lips. They were warm and still held the slightest taste of the wine. Jack's hand slid up his arm and on his chest. It went down in search of the dressing gown's belt and untied it. Stephen felt both of Jack palms upon his chest as they stroked the bare skin that was exposed by the night shirt. Stephen now knew that he would not be rejected as it happened in his dream, So he lowered his head again and kissed Jack passionately. The prolonged, hungry kiss left them both breathless, lightheaded and aroused.
" - Sophie would not count me one of her friends, now that I stole you from her, - said Stephen, breathing softly into Jack's mouth."
" - I guess, she will not be happy with me either for I let myself be stolen so easily," - Jack arms now held Stephen's body close to his.
" - You will probably marry her anyway."
" - Oh, no. The only one I want to marry is you," - Jack smiled kissing Stephen lightly.
" - We both will have to marry women if we do not want any rumours spreading."
" - You are right, as always," - Jack nodded with such a dissapointed expression on his face, that Stephen regretted talking of hiding their relationship when the relationship has barely started. Suddenly a mischiveous smile broke out on Jack's face as he said, "- But for now let us pretend that we are married and this is our first night."
" - Oh, well I am not going to give you a divorce, even if you beg me. "
Jack responded to this statement with a smile and kiss and... many more things.